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At first, Mai thinks nothing of it.
She is visiting Zuko’s dorm, lying on his bed while Zuko types away on his first paper of the term when Azula calls.
“Hello,” Zuko says, voice guarded, and that is how Mai knows it is Azula on the other side.
Mai doesn’t hear Azula’s response, but she does hear when Zuko says, “Do I have to?” sighs dramatically, and then asks “Can I bring Sokka?”. From the smile upon Zuko’s face, Mai guesses the answer is yes.
Zuko always smiles when he thinks of Sokka. Every weekend, Zuko drives for two and half hours from their campus in Champaign to Kane County, where Sokka is interning at Fermilab for the summer. (Sokka’s summer won’t end until a month after Mai and Zuko’s, the lucky bastard).
Mai is happy for them, she really is, but it gets...lonely, sometimes. Ever since Mai showed Zuko her knife collection in the sixth grade, it’s been the two of them against the world. Mai had never been the type of person who was desperately waiting to find their soulmate, but now she can’t help but to hope that hers will hurry up and make an appearance.
Zuko hands Mai his phone. “It’s Azula,” he says, “she wants to talk to you.”
“Hello,” Mai says, in the monotone, gloomy way she has.
“Mai,” Azula drawls, “we’re going to the aquarium this weekend.”
“Ugh,” Mai says, “sounds boring.”
“It won’t be,” Azula promises. “There’s someone I want you to meet. I think you’ll find her very interesting.”
(And Mai thinks nothing of it, this insinuation. Azula is pretty and charismatic, but incredibly intense. To go from her acquaintance to her friend is an arduous process. An arduous process that involves being vetted by Mai and Zuko. No one has ever passed, but that’s besides the point. The point is that Mai simply thinks Azula is asking her to vet a potential friend, and thus Mai is completely unprepared for what she walks into that Saturday.)
Azula continues, “Besides, she loves the aquarium. Dolphins are her favorite animal.”
“Who?” Mai says.
“Ty Lee, the girl I want you to meet,” Azula says. “She’s a sophomore, I met her on campus. And I want you to meet her too, it should prove to be very...interesting.”
Ah, Azula’s summer program. Mai had forgotten that Azula was doing that. Azula is an incoming freshman at Northwestern University, and had signed up for some summer minority-in-business program there to get out of her father’s house sooner.
“Whatever,” Mai says.
“You owe me,” Azula reminds Mai. Mai thinks that ‘You owe me’ is a funny way to pronounce ‘I’m blackmailing you with knowledge of your illegal knife collection’, but Mai’s not going to say anything about it.
“Whatever,” Mai repeats, then hangs up.
***
Mai’s problems, surprisingly, don’t start when she and Zuko swing by to pick up Sokka. Mai has already called shotgun, and Sokka is forced to sit in the back. Sokka, polite and charming Sokka, makes conversation with Mai for the rest of the drive instead of flirting with his boyfriend, like Mai feared. (‘Besides,’ Sokka adds, ‘We can’t have me speaking to Zuko while he’s driving. We all know gays can’t drive.’ Mai agrees. Zuko is a terrible driver.)
Mai’s problems actually begin when she realizes exactly why Azula was so desperate for her to meet her new friend.
After an incredibly long drive into downtown Chicago (three and a half hours, but who’s counting) they arrive outside Shedd Aquarium. It is a big white building perched on the edge of Lake Michigan, beautiful in the summer sun. The air is muggy, hot, and humid, because Illinois does both winter and summer to the extremes (she simply has the range).
Mai, Zuko, and Sokka wander the plaza in front of the museum for approximately three minutes and four seconds when Zuko spots his sister. She is nodding along as another girl, presumably Ty Lee, chats excitedly. Zuko drags Mai and Sokka over to the two girls, and that is when Mai realizes she is in trouble.
Ty Lee is very pretty.
That’s an understatement. Ty Lee is the most beautiful woman Mai has seen in her entire life, and that’s coming from someone who’s friends with Azula.
Ty Lee has thick brown hair and the brightest smile Mai has ever seen. Ty Lee is so pretty that Mai deeply regrets not putting more effort into her outfit this morning.
This is not the problem.
The problem is that Ty Lee’s own outfit, a bright pink matching skirt and crop top set reveals her midriff. Her very attractive midriff. Her very attractive midriff that is not the problem because on her very attractive midriff is her soulmark. A bubbly geometric pattern that matches Mai’s own. Mai’s matching soulmark, on her stomach, out of sight.
(Mai always thought her soulmark was a rather cheery pattern for her, but looking at her soulmate, it makes sense, now.)
Azula knew. Azula knows. Azula, Mai, and Zuko have known each other since they were children, and Mai is as acquainted with the spiky marking on Zuko’s arm and Azula’s remarkably patterned back which simply spells out ‘Get Therapy’, as they are with her own mark.
Azula looks smug. Zuko, shit Zuko, also looks smug.
Mai violently flashes back to all the times she made fun of Zuko for his incredibly awkward first interaction with his soulmate.
She can’t do that, she has to be better than that. Mai will be smooth. Mai will be so smooth Zuko will never be able to get his revenge.
Oh god, Ty Lee’s staring at her. “Did you hear me?” Ty Lee giggles. “I’m Ty Lee, what’s your name?”
“Uh,” Mai says. She pauses.
Shit.
Zuko looks like he’s trying not to laugh. Sokka is laughing, though he politely turns it into a cough. Azula just looks, so, so, smug.
It’s the critical flaw in Mai’s plan: unfortunately, her brain cells are allergic to pretty girls.
“Mai,” Mai says, after an uncomfortable amount of time.
Ty Lee giggles again. “You’re cute,” she says. She steps closer to Mai and links their arms together.
Mai feels her face heat up. “Thanks,” she says. “You too.”
Ty Lee leans closer, putting her face alarmingly close to Mai’s own. “Your blush is so cute! Do people not tell you you’re cute often? They should.”
Mai is dead. Mai has passed away. Mai no longer exists in the mortal realm. “People probably tell you that you’re cute a lot. They should,” Mai says.
Ty Lee shuffles even closer, a feat Mai had not thought possible previously, and leans her head against Mai’s shoulder. “You’re sweet,” she says.
The absolute transcendent experience that is having a pretty girl put her head on your shoulder rips Mai’s soul from her body. Zuko is watching their interaction with wide, amused eyes. Mai makes eye contact him and sends an SOS signal with her eyes. Zuko absolutely knows what she’s trying to say. He smirks and turns around to talk to his boyfriend.
Bastard.
“You go to University of Illinois with Zuko, right?” Ty Lee says.
Okay. Mai can do this. “Yes, I--”
“Let’s get moving,” Azula says. “I have the tickets.”
“Why are you outside if you already bought tickets?” Zuko asks.
“Zuzu,” Azula says slowly, in the special tone she reserves for when she feels her brother has done something, very, very, stupid (Mai knows it well, all siblings have some version of it, and she and Tom Tom are no exception), “I bought the tickets online. Three days ago.”
“Zuzu!” Sokka exclaims, delighted.
“No,” Zuko says.
“But babe!” Sokka yells, then attaches himself to Zuko’s back like an octopus.
Zuko looks like he is just beginning to remember why having his sister and boyfriend in the same room (or metaphorical room as the case may be) is a bad idea.
Mai smirks. Revenge is sweet.
Mai’s satisfaction does not last long.
The moment they enter through the grand doors of the museum, Azula says, “I’m going to look at the jellyfish exhibit.” She pauses to gasp dramatically and look at a large analog clock on the wall above the ticketing booth. “My, my, my, it looks like the dolphin show is in ten minutes. Mai, be a dear and take Ty Lee while the boys and I go see those jellyfish.” Azula’s gaze sharpens. “There’s something I want to talk to them about. Go on girls, we’ll meet you once the show’s done.”
And with that, Azula stalks off. Mai would be more satisfied at the twin looks of terror Zuko and Sokka send her before scrambling to follow Azula, but she’s too busy with her own predicament.
Azula played them all.
Of course she would stick Mai alone with her soulmate while she ran off to interrogate Zuko’s new boyfriend. There’s a reason she’s a master strategist, after all.
“Shall we?” Ty Lee asks brightly.
Mai just nods.
In the short walk to the dolphin enclosure, Mai learns a lot about Ty Lee. She’s a sophomore at Northwestern, double majoring in business and dance, because dance is a major that Northwestern has, apparently.
When Mai asked why she had that particular major combination, Ty Lee mentioned something about wanting to open a circus. Upon hearing this, Mai certainly did not spiral into a fantasy where the two of them had a circus act together involving Mai as an expert knife thrower and Ty Lee as her incredible assistant (and wife), and resents you thinking that she spiraled into a fantasy where the two of them had a circus act together involving Mai as an expert knife thrower and Ty Lee as her incredible assistant (and wife).
Mai comes to the conclusion that despite Ty Lee’s preppy appearance, she’s actually very weird. Mai feels somewhat reassured by this realization; she herself is rather strange, and doesn’t know what she would do if her soulmate was completely normal. Unlike Mai though, Ty Lee is very bubbly and loud.
Right outside the entrance to the dolphin show, is a kiosk selling various aquarium merchandise. Ty Lee squeals so loud Mai is surprised she doesn’t sustain hearing damage. So naturally Mai buys Ty Lee the stuffed pink dolphin that Ty Lee was eyeing.
The room in which the dolphin show takes place is beautiful, with a large pool full of rocks imitating the pacific and large widows opening out onto the lake. Ty Lee drags them to the front row of the dolphin show, and their conversation dies down as soon as the show starts (well, if it can really be called a conversation; Ty Lee is doing essentially all the work, while Mai nods dumbly and tries to figure out a way to tell her soulmate that they’re soulmates).
Halfway through the show, a dolphin executes a particularly clever trick involving leaping into the air and knocking down a beach ball, causing Ty Lee to grin in delight (which Mai is man enough to admit she finds adorable) and Mai’s entire shirt to be completely soaked.
Mai briefly (only briefly, she swears) considers just stripping. If she’s not wearing a shirt, the ball will be in Ty Lee’s court. Take that, Azula. Of course, Mai then realizes that getting kicked out of the museum and then possibly arrested for public indecency is probably not the best move.
After the show, Ty Lee grabs Mai’s hand. “Thanks for coming with me,” she says.
“Of course,” Mai respondes, and then they’re walking back into the main hallway.
Ty Lee is still holding Mai’s hand. Mai spots Azula, Zuko, and Sokka heading over to them. It’s now or never.
“I have a soulmark on my stomach that’s the same as yours,” Mai says. Smooth Mai, very smooth. She’s beginning to realize that there’s no great way to introduce yourself as someone’s soulmate. Maybe she shouldn’t have been so hard on Zuko. (Who is she kidding. Mai has no regrets. She’s basically contractually bound to bully Zuko by the rules of friendship.)
Ty Lee gives her a strange look. “Yeah, I know.”
“What,” Mai says.
“When we first met Azula told me she had a friend with my soulmark. That’s why Azula set this up,” Ty Lee says.
Mai sits on the ground. The dirty, dirty, weirdly carpeted aquarium ground. Mai buries her face into her knees, and Ty Lee sits cross legged across from her.
Ty Lee starts laughing. “Did she not tell you? That’s so Azula.”
A pair of pointy shoes appear in front of Mai. “Mai,” Azula says, voice full of false sweetness, “how are you?”
“Azula,” Mai says, “Azula, I am going to kill you.”
“Aw Mai,” Ty Lee says, “don’t kill her. She got us together!” She punctuates her statement by adjusting Mai and placing herself in Mai’s lap.
Mai reconsiders all threats of murder.
***
Four years later, at Mai and Ty Lee’s wedding, Mai is afraid. She had been so, so, smug the year before, when she gave an incredibly embarrassing (for Zuko) speech at her best friend’s wedding. Which she failed to consider when she made Zuko her best man. With Zuko and desire for revenge, and Azula, Ty Lee’s maid of honor, and her desire for chaos, Mai saw no way of getting out of this unscathed.
So when Zuko cedes his speech to his husband, Mai is...apprehensive to say the least. When Sokka takes the stage and sings a song dramatically recounting Mai and Ty Lee’s first meeting, Mai knows she was right to feel that way.
Azula plays the piano in accompaniment. Mai would spend more time wondering where Azula got a piano from if she wasn’t spending so much time in awe of Azula’s playing. She never misses a note. It’s a sharp contrast to Sokka’s horrendous, off-key singing. Azula doesn’t even play piano.
“I’m leaving,” Mai says.
“Why?” Ty Lee asks. She leans closer. “I’m sure you’re not bored when I look like this.”
Ty Lee had insisted they wear cropped dresses that show off their soulmarks. They also show off Ty Lee’s midriff, which is very attractive, and Mai is certain that she has mentioned this fact before.
Mai gestures to where Sokka has finished singing and is now bowing with Azula. The crowd offers scattered, confused applause.
“Don’t worry,” Ty Lee says, as she pats Mai’s arm consolingly, “I’m sure they’ll calm down soon.”
The DJ starts playing a song (?) that is just the words ‘Knife Wife’ on repeat, said in Siri’s voice. Sokka, Zuko, and Azula all look exceptionally smug.
“On second thought,” Ty Lee says, “I found an alcove in the hallway outside that looks like a great spot to make out in.”
Mai has never stood up so fast in her life.